WEBVTT SOLEDAD:DRONE VIDEO OVER PIKECOUNTY KENTUCKY.YOU WOULDN'T KNOW IT FROM THESEPICTURES, BUT THIS USED TO BE ACOAL MINE.JUST EIGHT YEARS AGO, 91 MILLIONTONS OF COAL WERE EXTRACTED FROMMINES IN EASTERN KENTUCKY --LAST YEAR, FEWER THAN 17 MILLIONTONS.IN THE SAME EIGHT YEARS, MININGEMPLOYMENT DROPPORTUNITYED FROM--DROPPED FROM MORE THAN15-THOUSAND PEOPLE EMPLOYED TOJUST UNDER 4-THOUSAND WORKERS.PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS PROMISED HEWOULD BRING BACK MINING JOBS.THE COAL INDUSTRY IS ON THEDECLINE DUE TO CHEAP NATURAL GASAND THE GROWING USE OF WIND ANDSOLAR POWER. KENTUCKY COULD SEE A COMEBACK ASAN ENERGY PRODUCER THANKS TOSOLAR FARMS BEING BUILT -- INSOME CASES LITERALLY ON THEGROUND OF FORMER MINES.ADAM EDELEN IS OVERSEEING THELAUNCH OF THE BIGGEST SOLARENERGY FARM IN THE STATE OFKENTUCKY.HE JOINS US TODAY.NICE TO TALK TO YOU.YOUR COMPANY IS SMALL BUT THEPARTNERSHIP IS WHAT MAKES ITLARGE, CORRECT? >> THAT IS RIGHT.THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRINGTOGETHER BIG PLAYERS INRENEWABLE ENERGY AND COAL TOBUILD A SOLAR PROJECT ON AMOUNTAINTOP REMOVAL SITE,CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FORDISPLACED COAL MINERS IS TRULYIS A ONCE IN A LIFETIMEOPPORTUNITY AND I APPRECIATEYOUR INTEREST.SOLEDAD: WHY WOULD A MASSIVECOAL COMPANY WANT TO BE APARTNER IN SOMETHING IN THAT ISDEALING WITH CLEAN ENERGY?WE, MAYBE THOSE OF US WHO ARENOT IN THE INDUSTRY, ALWAYSTHINK OF THAT AS COMPETING, NOTGROUNDS FOR A PARTNERSHIP.>> THE BERKELEY ENERGY GROUP ISEXCITED ABOUT DEVELOPING SOLARON THEIR VAST PRIVATE HOLDINGSBECAUSE I THINK EVERYONERECOGNIZES THAT RENEWABLEENERGIES ARE GOING TO BEEXTRAORDINARILY IMPORTANT IN THEFUTURE.THEY ARE IMPORTANT NOW.JUST AS WE ARE TRYING TODIVERSIFY THE ECONOMIC PORTFOLIOOF THIS COAL COMPANY, IT IS MOREIMPORTANT TO DIVERSIFY THEECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES SO WE CANMAKE SURE THE PEOPLE INAPPALACHIA AND EASTERN KY HAVETHE ABILITY TO TAKE CARE OFTHEIR FAMILIES AND LIVE WHERETHEY WANT TO LIVE.SOLEDAD: HOW MANY JOBS DO YOUNEED TO FILL?HOW MANY COAL MINERS TODAY ARELOOKING FOR WORK IN KENTUCKY? >> WE HAVE SEVERAL THOUSAND COALMINERS WHO HAVE LOST THEIR JOBSIN THE DOWNTURN OF THE COALECONOMY SO ANY PROJECT THATPROMISES OPPORTUNITY FOR THEMAND THEM TO LEARN NEXTGENERATION SKILLS IS IMPORTANT.SOLEDAD: SO HOW DOES THERETRAINING WORKERS WORK?>> THE COAL MINERS ARE THE MOSTSKILLED WORKERS IN THE WORLD.THESE ARE FOLKS WHO AREOUTSTANDING ELECTRICIANS, WORKIN DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES, THEYSHOW UP TO WORK EVERY DAY.THEY ALREADY HAVE THAT BASE OFTECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE THAT WE WILLNEED TO TRANSLATE INTO THE SOLARINDUSTRY.THERE WILL SOME TRAINING.BUT THAT TRAINING WE THINK WOULDTAKE WEEKS, NOT MONTHS.SOLEDAD: PRESIDENT TRUMP HASPROPOSED A HALF A BILLION DOLLARCUT TO RESEARCH IN CLEAN ENERGY,HE SAID AND I WILL QUOTE HIM.HE THINK THIS AREA IS A QUOTE ABIG MISTAKE AND A QUOTE BADINVESTMENT.WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF HISPOSITION?>> I WOULD DISAGREE.I THINK DIVERSIFYING THE ECONOMYINAPPALACHIA IS IMPORTANT AND WEWANT TO DO WHAT WE CAN TO HELPINDUSTRIES THAT HAVE BEENEMPLOYING PEOPLE FOR A LONGTIME.BUT WE HAVE TO READY PEOPLE TOBE ABLE TO COMPETE IN THE FUTUREAND RECOGNIZING THE ROLE OFRENEWABLE ENERGY, SOLAR IN PARTICULARAND I THINK FOCUSING ON THIS, PROJECT IS SO IMPORTANT.YOU HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD.THINK ABOUT IT.GIVEN THE DIVISION IN THISCOUNTRY, THINK ABOUT WHATHAPPENS WHEN WE'RE ABLE TO BRINGTOGETHER COAL COMPANY AND ARENEWABLE ENERGY COMPANY TOCREATE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY FORPEOPLE WHO NEED ITTHAT IS THE UNITY THAT WE NEEDIN THIS COUNTRY THAT IS FOCUSEDON BUILDING FOR THE LONG TERMAND NOT THE PAST. THIS IS AN EXCITING OPPORTUNITYTO GIVE PEOPLE A REASONTO BEMORE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THEFUTURE.SOLEDAD: MR. EDELEN, THANKS, FORTALKING WITH US.WE LOOK FORWARD TO COMING

Putting Coal Miners Back to Work – Through Solar Power

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Updated: 6:49 AM PDT May 25, 2017

Coal mining is on the decline in the United States, leaving those who relied on the industry for jobs out of work. Tens of thousands of coal miners have lost their jobs in recent years with the decline of coal power due in part to cheaper and cleaner energy options. Adam Edelen, of Edelen Strategic Ventures, says his partnership with coal company Berkeley Energy Group, could be the solution. They’ll be reusing former coal mines for a new kind of energy production, retraining laid-off Kentucky coal miners to become solar farmers.